Attending PrepNet Virtual Academy (PVA) has taken Olivia Guarisco everywhere she could have wanted to go in every sense.
She took Advanced Placement classes as early as ninth grade, attended college courses through Davenport University, and even went to Egypt through the school. That online learning experience has paved the way for her next step – to become a pilot.
“PrepNet Virtual's reputation is what brought me to the school, the opportunities that followed is what kept me for all four years,” she said.
Guarisco will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, to study aeronautical science and graduate with a commercial pilot’s license. Her goal is fly for a major airline, ideally FedEx, and eventually guide seaplane tours to show others the beauty of Lake Michigan. She is more than willing to put in the hard work to attain her dreams, working full-time as a server to pay her college tuition after graduating high school.
Her time at PrepNet Virtual began as a freshman. The pandemic forced a switch to online learning while she attended public school in Petoskey, but she preferred it to in-person and found the live instruction that PrepNet Virtual offers to be a perfect fit.
“Personally, I felt I was compatible with the concept of online learning, so I began searching for a more permanent and established program,” she said.
Guarisco is grateful for her teachers, such as Brynn Jackson, for allowing her to take AP Biology as a freshman. Along with the knowledge she gained, it was in that class that she met what would be a lifelong friend she otherwise might not have met had she not attended PrepNet Virtual.
“In my generation, it is rare to kindle the type of friendship that you can see lasting for a lifetime, making it undeniably the most memorable experience during my time at PrepNet Virtual,” she said.
Congratulations, Olivia, and good luck in the next part of your educational journey!
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About PrepNet Virtual Academy
PrepNet Virtual Academy is a tuition-free, online public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through high school. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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